Trygon
Little is known of the enigmatic figure known as Trygon. He was a human male of indeterminate age, with no known associates or allies, and no known family. His name is not reminiscent of any known human or humanoid culture and is likely an affectation. His life prior to the invasion is a mystery, and what little is known has been pieced together after the fact, with much hearsay and guesswork. Trygon was a wizard – this much is known for certain, for it was confirmed at over a dozen battles he personally participated in. This alone presents some disturbing implications, for no record of such a man is present in the Kingspire records. This means he must have learned from an unlicensed source, and that in turn means that his like could arise again. He was able to control and raise undead to an unprecedented level. In both complexity and number, his undead army was unique in all of recorded history, and scholars are still puzzling over how he might have achieved such a mastery of the school of necromancy. Prior to Trygon’s invasion, the biggest necromantic force ever encountered numbered in the thousands (the Scouring of Rynebridge during the Grey Plague, 2360 UE), yet military historians place the size of the force that besieged Tarnir at 50,000 strong, not counting the ghoulkin and evil beasts that roamed the rest of the region as forward scouts. By the time his army crossed into Geltan, this number had doubled. It is also known that Trygon was a creature of undeath himself. He had unlocked the secret of ultimate power over life and death, and become a lich in the process. This was confirmed at the Battle of Oakcross, where over a hundred men saw Ser Lydia Corwyn strike the wizard Trygon’s head from his shoulders, only for his body to dissolve into dust without trace. A week later, Trygon took to the field again, and on that occasion Ser Lydia was not so lucky. Throughout all of history, less than half a dozen beings are known to have acquired the ability, and while the Kingspire University is not permitted to keep record of how such a feat might be possible, it is known that he must already have been one of the most talented mages in the world to have been able to prepare and undergo the ritual in the first place. Trygon was eventually defeated at the Battle of Lake Tremere, in sight of the Kingspire itself. Archmage Aster himself took to the field then, working together with his Inner Circle and the most talented students of the University to weave an enchantment to undo all raising spells around them, allowing them a clear path toward the lich. Joining them was the young Empress Theodora and her honour guard of stout dwarven warriors. Having learned of his lich nature, their focus was not on destroying him, which might allow him to escape, but on destroying his phylactery. To that end, the Empress went on the defensive, keeping Trygon both physically and spiritually anchored, whilst trying to counter any magic he attempted to throw out. It was the Empress’ champion and future consort Dynat who destroyed the phylactery with a masterful greatsword strike, and the Archmage delivered the final blow to Trygon himself, disintegrating him while his defenses were down. With Trygon gone, his army dispersed. The risen dead crumbled, the creatures he had bound to his service fled back to their hiding places and the unnatural inclement weather that followed his army retreated. In the aftermath, no remains of the wizard Trygon were ever found. His material body, or what remained of it after Aster’s spell, could not be found, and his weapons were never recovered. This has led to much wild speculation. Many claim that he was not truly defeated that day, that he overcame Theodora’s enchantments and teleported away, to bide his time and strike again when the Empire was undefended. Others point the finger at Archmage Aster, claiming he secretly took the lich’s artifacts for himself to serve his own dark purposes. All that can be said for certain is that in the intervening years, no sign of Trygon’s return has been proven. The repercussions of the invasion are still being felt today. All told, between undead attacks, bandit predation, disease and starvation, fully one fifth of the Empire’s population was killed, especially those from the Glens, Voronia and Geltan. These numbers have not even begun to recover, and to this day, there are still areas that remain abandoned and derelict, grim reminders of what was lost. There is also the cultural toll. The generation that survived the invasion has spent so much time and energy recovering from it that art and literature are at an all time low. And though necromancy was never especially common or encouraged, the taboo is now such that any that practice it make themselves pariahs at best, reviled criminals at worst.